Scottish Executive

Education

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4398 by Peter Peacock on 9 December 2003, how funding for 2004-05 and 2005-06 will be split between additional teachers and the Spark project and what the estimated cost will be of introducing maximum class sizes of 20 in S1 and S2 and 25 in P1.

Peter Peacock: Overall the funding allocation for 2004-05 and 2005-06 for additional teachers and the Spark project is £29 million and £49 million respectively. As the Scottish Executive is currently engaged in the procurement process for the project formerly known as Spark, it is not possible to separate out funding for each element due to commercial confidentiality. However, the split is heavily weighted in favour of recruiting additional teachers.

  Our class size commitments sit alongside our commitments to significantly increase teacher numbers to 53,000 by 2007 and to increase the number of specialists working across the primary secondary boundary. In later years the salary costs of our class size commitments will be approximately £45 million.

  Any need for additional classrooms in particular schools, consequent on our commitment to reduce class sizes will be influenced by issues such as local school occupancy levels, future pupil numbers and effectiveness of timetabling. It is for education authorities to consider these issues in the first instance.

Education

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4399 by Peter Peacock on 9 December 2003, what targets it has for the number, and percentage, of classes with a maximum size of 20 pupils for each of the next four years.

Peter Peacock: There are no plans to introduce class sizes of a maximum of 20 in primary schools. Practical classes in secondary schools already have a class maximum of 20. The Executive has set out its aim for class sizes in S1/S2 Maths and English to fall to a maximum of 20 in time for academic year 2007-08. The partnership agreement sets no interim targets.

Environment

Rosie Kane (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce legislation to require companies to pay compensation to communities affected by oil spills.

Rosie Kane (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any powers to introduce legislation to require ships carrying crude oil to undertake environmental impact assessments when their course is being plotted and, if so, whether it will do so and, if not, whether it will make representations to Her Majesty’s Government on the matter.

Rosie Kane (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any powers to introduce legislation to require ships carrying toxic loads to undertake environmental impact assessments when their course is being plotted and, if so, whether it will do so, and, if not, whether it will make representations to the Majesty’s Government on the matter.

Rosie Kane (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many tonnes of crude oil have been spilt in Scottish territorial waters in each of the last five years.

Rosie Kane (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many tonnes of toxic waste have been spilt in Scottish territorial waters in each of the last five years.

Rosie Kane (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many tonnes of fuel and toxic waste have been spilt in Scottish territorial waters as a result of tankers washing out their tanks in each of the last five years.

Rosie Kane (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions there have been as a result of oil spills in Scottish territorial waters in each of the last five years.

Rosie Kane (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions there have been as a result of toxic waste spills in Scottish territorial waters in each of the last five years.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive has no functions in relation to these matters which fall under the provisions of Merchant Shipping legislation. Such matters are reserved and are within the responsibilities of either the Department for Transport or the Maritime and Coastguard Agency acting on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport.

  I understand, however, that some of the information sought may be found on the website of the Advisory Committee on Protection of the Sea at www.acops.org.

Fisheries

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications have been made under the rates relief scheme for harbours and businesses affected by white fish catch reduction and how many were successful on first application or appeal, broken down by local authority area.

Mr Andy Kerr: This is a matter for individual local authorities. The information requested is not held centrally.

Fisheries

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been allocated under the rates relief scheme for harbours and businesses affected by white fish catch reduction, broken down by local authority area.

Mr Andy Kerr: The following local authorities have granted hardship relief to harbours and businesses affected by the reduction in whitefish catches (as at 8 January 2004):

  

 Aberdeenshire
 £127,446.15


 Highland
 £55,828.43


 Scottish Borders
 £15,645.00

Football

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current status is of the independent review of youth football by PMP Consultancy and when the report will be published.

Mr Frank McAveety: The independent review of youth football commissioned by the Scottish Football Association (SFA) has been concluded. The Executive is currently in discussion with the SFA and  sportscotland on the report’s recommendations and how best to take these forward. I would hope that an announcement will be made early in 2004. Whether the report is published is a matter for the SFA.

Health Promotion

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many schools have vending machines that sell fizzy drinks and products high in sugar and salt levels.

Euan Robson: This information is not held centrally.

  As part of the implementation of Hungry for Success, we expect all schools to end the active promotion or advertising of full fat crisps, confectionery or fizzy sugary soft drinks within the dining room before the set dates (December 2004 for primary and special schools, December 2006 for secondaries).

  The Executive has also given a commitment in its partnership agreement to end the advertising of unhealthy foods in schools, work with local authorities to promote healthy eating, and actively discourage the availability of unhealthy food and drinks in schools as a condition of becoming health promoting schools. The Scottish Executive has set a target for all schools in Scotland to be health-promoting schools by 2007.

Higher Education

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what public funding has been awarded to the Institute for System Level Integration in each of the last three years.

Mr Jim Wallace: As part of project Alba, the Institute for System Level Integration has been supported in line with the commitment in A Smart, Successful Scotland to move to a technologically innovative, knowledge-based economy.

  Funding issues in relation to the institute itself are an operational matter for the main funding partners - Scottish Enterprise, University of Glasgow, University of Strathclyde, Heriot-Watt University and Edinburgh University. However, in 2001 the Executive contributed a one-off grant of £40,000 to assist the early stages of the MSc in System Level Integration.

Higher Education

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of students studying at the Institute for System Level Integration is from (a) Scotland and (b) overseas.

Mr Jim Wallace: Specific information relating to student numbers at the Institute for System Level Integration is an operational matter for the Institute.

Higher Education

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the public investment in the Institute for System Level Integration provides an adequate return for the Scottish economy.

Mr Jim Wallace: Public investment in the Institute for System Level Integration is a matter for the main funding partners – Scottish Enterprise, University of Glasgow, University of Strathclyde, Heriot-Watt University and Edinburgh University.

Higher Education

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to rationalise the further education sector and, if so, what the criteria would be for any such rationalisation.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive is committed to a further education sector which delivers the maximum value for the record levels of funding now being invested. That criterion is reflected strongly in ministers’ guidance to the Scottish Further Education Funding Council, which has responsibility for funding Scotland’s further education colleges and for securing adequate and efficient further education in Scotland. The guidance forms the basis of funding agreements between the Funding Council and individual colleges.

  Ministers rely on the judgement and expertise of college boards of management in determining the optimum provision of further education within the communities served by each college, and in securing best value from the resources which boards administer. Boards continue to address these requirements in a range of ways, including the pursuit of internal efficiency savings, collaborative initiatives and joint delivery of further education with other colleges and providers, and by examining the scope for college mergers.

  The Funding Council continues to work with colleges, both individually and collectively, to identify opportunities for rationalisation and effectiveness in further education provision and in matching supply and demand. A proportion of the Funding Council’s resources is used to support strategic change.

Justice

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive in how many cases appearing before the High Court the defendant had been held on remand in each of the last four years, expressed also as a percentage of all cases.

Cathy Jamieson: Information in the form requested is not currently available from our regular data collection systems. However, the continued development of the Integration of Scottish Criminal Justice Information Systems project should mean that by the end of 2004 it will be possible to calculate systematically a reliable estimate of the proportion of accused who were on remand, for whatever reason, immediately prior to the date of sentence or acquittal.

  Information available as a result of manual inspection of High Court records for the years 2000-02, shows that the following number of cases were custody indictments:

  

 2002
 640 cases (40% of 1,598 indictments registered 
  during the year)


 2001
 564 cases (38% of 1,468 indictments registered 
  during the year)*


 2000
 483 cases (36% of 1,345 indictments registered 
  during the year)



  *Estimated on basis of grossing up three months figures.

  The number of cases represents indictments, not people. Some custody indictments involve two or more co-accused. If one of them is in custody it does not necessarily mean that all of them are.

Police

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times since May 1999 chief constables have used their powers under Part III of the Police Act 1997.

Cathy Jamieson: The information requested is contained in Annex A to the Annual Report of the Chief Surveillance Commissioner to the Prime Minister and to the Scottish ministers for 2002-03. The annual report is published by the Stationery Office, and a copy is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 29152).

Public Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on any impact on bus services if a current bus operator obtained the new rail franchise, in particular on the number of services, and areas, likely to be affected and what measures would be put in place to address such a situation.

Nicol Stephen: The provision of bus services is a matter for the operating companies concerned, subject to the requirements of their licenses.

  The bid specification for the ScotRail franchise was primarily concerned with the provision of rail services. However, in line with the priorities set out in Scottish ministers’ directions and guidance to the Strategic Rail Authority, bidders were also asked to submit a plan regarding inter-modal travel/integrated transport. These plans will be assessed as part of the overall evaluation process.

  As with any business, any requirements of competition law that may apply to operators of rail or bus services in Scotland must be met. However, competition is a reserved matter and the Scottish ministers have no functions in this area.

Publishing

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the importance of the book publishing sector to implementing its cultural strategy and what assistance, financial or otherwise, will be made available to that sector.

Mr Frank McAveety: The Scottish publishing sector is recognised as important to the cultural and creative life of Scotland. The Scottish Arts Council has commissioned "A Review of Scottish Publishing in the 21st Century", which is to be published this year. The council will use the review’s recommendations to determine the appropriate support strategy for the sector. Additionally, a feasibility study into the potential for a web portal site to provide a platform for Scottish books is also to be funded by the council in 2003-04.

Rail Network

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2O-932 by Nicol Stephen on 11 December 2003, when it received the business case for the Borders railway and when it expects to make an announcement in respect of its additional funding contribution to support construction of the railway.

Nicol Stephen: The initial business case was received on 4 November 2003. Following an initial analysis further information was requested from the Waverley Railway Partnership and this was received on 2 December 2003. That information is now being considered and an announcement will be made once that consideration is complete.

Rail Network

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the funding for the Borders railway will be raised by each relevant local authority; how this funding will be raised; what its position would be if local authorities do not raise the expected funding, and what its position would be if the Strategic Rail Authority does not deliver its expected funding for the project.

Nicol Stephen: The amount of and means of raising funding contributions is a matter for the Waverley Railway Partnership. It is the promoter’s responsibility to assemble and deliver the funding package for the railway and it would be premature for the Scottish Executive to anticipate the outcome of the promoter’s efforts.

Rail Network

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a full or abridged copy of the Borders railway business plan will be made public and, if so, when.

Nicol Stephen: Publication of such documents is a matter for the promoter. The Waverley Railway Partnership is the promoter of this project.

Regulation of Care

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its current estimate is of the cost of training unqualified voluntary sector staff to meet the qualification requirements for adult care staff as a consequence of the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 in each year to 2006-07.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its current estimate is of the cost of training qualified voluntary sector staff to meet the additional qualification requirements for adult care staff as a consequence of the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 in each year to 2006-07.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its current estimate is of the cost of training (a) unqualified and (b) qualified local authority staff to meet the additional qualification requirements for adult care staff as a consequence of the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 in each year to 2006-07.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has of the cost to each local authority of training their (a) unqualified and (b) qualified staff to meet the additional qualification requirements for adult care staff as a consequence of the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has invited, or received, submissions from local authorities regarding the cost in the current and subsequent financial years of training their (a) unqualified and (b) qualified staff to meet the additional qualification requirements for adult care staff as consequence of the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001.

Euan Robson: The Scottish Social Services Council is responsible for setting the qualifications criteria for registration with the council. Consultation on the criteria for workers in the adult care sector has just been completed and no decision has yet been made on what the criteria will be. Their decision is expected by March 2004.

  In October, the Executive announced an additional £9 million over the next three years for local authorities to invest in training. Ministers have made it clear that staff, who work in partnership with local authorities, i.e. independent providers from the voluntary and private sector, will benefit from this funding.

  The Executive also provides training grants under section 9 of Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 to promote an acceptable level of practice competence in areas of social work covered by the voluntary sector. This enables voluntary organisations involved to provide or secure training for their paid staff and voluntary workers which would not otherwise be available to them.

  Currently, the Scottish Social Services Council is undertaking an investigation of all the key funding streams available for training in the social work sector and this will include the voluntary sector.

Regulation of Care

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has monitored any savings to the social work budgets of local authorities as a result of voluntary de-registration of care establishments under the supporting people initiative and, if so, what these savings were, broken down by local authority.

Mr Tom McCabe: No, but the Executive announced on 5 December a review of the Supporting People programme to ensure that it is meeting its original objectives.

School Meals

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many schools now use a smartcard system for school meals and free school meals and whether it has any evidence to indicate that the use of smartcards has led to an increase in the uptake of free school meals.

Euan Robson: This information is not held centrally.

  Under the Modernising Government Fund all 32 Scottish Councils will be working towards the deployment of smartcards for young people and a further consortium of 11 Scottish councils working towards a national model for smartcards in Scotland. One of the key deliverables over the next 18 months is the availability of smartcards for pupils to access school meals and vending.

  As at the end of September 2003 for those councils in the consortium, there are 16,700 cards in use for catering and vending operating in 17 schools. Through this programme we will work with councils to collate information on the uptake of smartcards.

  Glasgow City Council has already implemented cashless catering through the young person’s card. All 29 secondary schools in Glasgow are using this card. A pilot is also being implemented in April 2004 involving six primary schools to extend the use of the card. Since the introduction of cashless catering in 1996 until December 2002, free school meal uptake has risen from 45% to 78%.

School Meals

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the recommendations in Hungry for Success: A Whole School Approach to School Meals in Scotland have been implemented and what the method of analysis is for monitoring the implementation of these recommendations.

Euan Robson: Scotland is in the vanguard of improving food in schools with our flagship policy Hungry For Success. By putting in place nutrient-based standards for school meals, we are leading the way among European countries. Local authorities have been awarded significant funding radically to improve the school meals service in Scotland. Although it is too early to say how far individual authorities are in the implementation process, we are encouraged by the signs we are already seeing and their enthusiasm for the initiative.

  We have a detailed monitoring plan in place to ensure that these recommendations are in place by December 2004 for primary and special schools, and December 2006 for secondary schools. This is detailed in the expert panel’s report and the timetable for this evaluation is as follows:

  Level 1 will involve education authorities reporting, through National Priorities in Education, on the provision and uptake of free school meals.

  An annual census on school meals is already undertaken and included in the reporting system. It has been altered to include questions on the provision of drinking water, free fruit and the use of anonymised paying systems such as smart cards. The Scottish Health Promoting Schools Unit will be developing an accreditation system which will allow education authorities to provide the information on health promoting schools. This reporting requirement will be introduced into the National Priorities reporting system in 2005.

  Level 2 monitoring, school inspections, will take place in a percentage of primary and secondary schools over the next three years.

  Level 3 monitoring, a published report evaluating school meals provision will be drawn from the school inspections and may include a number of dedicated inspections.

  Level 4 monitoring, independent research assessing the implementation and the impact of the recommendations will be commissioned after the 2006 deadline for implementation in secondary schools. We are in the process of commissioning baseline research which will inform this later project.

  The research will include both quantative and qualitative methods.

Scottish Executive Communications

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many seminars it is holding for local newspapers to discuss improving communications with it and what the cost of such seminars is to the public purse.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Executive is planning to hold a seminar for local newspaper editors on 15 January 2004.

  Final costs for the seminar, to include buffet lunch and transport to the Parliament, will depend on the numbers attending, but are not expected to exceed £700. Attendees are expected to travel to Edinburgh at their own expense.

Scottish Natural Heritage

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated staffing levels will be for the headquarters of Scottish Natural Heritage in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06, (c) 2006-07 and (d) 2007-08, expressed also as a percentage of current staffing levels.

Allan Wilson: This is an operational matter for Scottish Natural Heritage.

Scottish Natural Heritage

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many members of staff currently employed in the headquarters of Scottish Natural Heritage it estimates will be employed there in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06, (c) 2006-07 and (d) 2007-08, expressed also as percentage of current staffing levels.

Allan Wilson: Staffing levels are an operational matter for Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). The number of staff currently working in SNH headquarters who will still be employed by SNH in future years will depend on a variety of factors including the pattern of staff retirement and turnover.

Scottish Natural Heritage

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the comparative net present values are of Scottish Natural Heritage remaining in Edinburgh and relocating to Inverness over a 30-year period.

Allan Wilson: The Executive’s refinement and analysis of the discounted costs of the various relocation options identified in the DTZ Pieda study was placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 27058) on 20 March 2003. Over a 30-year period this showed the move to Inverness would cost in the region of £21.7 million in net present value terms, assuming that premises would be rented. On the same cost basis, the status quo would cost £15.3 million.

Scottish Water

Mr Ted Brocklebank (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2731 by Ross Finnie on 1 October 2003, what the proposed, or agreed, timescale is for Scottish Water to replace broken pipes in Aberdeenshire to ensure that low water levels do not endanger salmon stocks in the River Dee.

Ross Finnie: The answer given to question S2W-2731 on 1 October 2003 indicated that these issues were not linked. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search.

  Nevertheless, since the issue of investment in its infrastructure is an operational matter for the Chief Executive of Scottish Water, I have asked him to write to you about this matter.

St Andrew's Day

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it took to promote St Andrew’s Day, detailing the activities and events it promoted and the costs incurred.

Mr Andy Kerr: On St Andrew’s Day this year, the First Minister's speech, delivered at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, focused on culture and the creativity of the Scottish people. The First Minister addressed an audience comprising leading representatives of Scotland's cultural scene: representatives from national cultural organisations, from public and private sector bodies, arts practitioners; and also commentators, and students from leading cultural academic institutions. This address, which can be accessed at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/pages/news/extras/00017600.aspx ., and a specially commissioned film, Celebrating Scotland's Culture, were broadcast live on the Executive website.

  Breakdown of Event Costs

  

 Celebrating Scotland’s 
  Culture Film
 £10,985.00 
  (excluding VAT)


 Production Costs
 £ 2,635.00 
  (excluding VAT)


 Catering
 £ 2,706.00 
  (excluding VAT)


 Total
 £16, 326.00 
  (excluding VAT)



  In addition the First Minister sent a message by Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) telegram to all expatriate Scots and people with affinity for Scotland around the world to mark the day. This was used by 59 FCO posts at social events they organised or attended.

Student Finance

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current level of award to individual students’ is from the disabled students' allowance as part of the programme for wider access to higher education; what plans there are to increase the current level of award from the allowance; how many students have been granted an award from the allowance in each of the last three years and during the current academic year; how much has been spent on the (a) disabled students allowance and (b) programme for wider access to higher education in each of the last three years and how much is planned to be spent on each in the current financial year and each of the next three years; how many applicants have been refused an award from the allowance in each of the last three years and so far this year; how many, and what percentage of, applicants to the allowance have been referred to access centres in each of the last three years and so far this year, and what the outcomes have been of such referrals in each of the last three years and so far this year.

Mr Jim Wallace: Eligible full-time students can receive support from the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) of up to £12,070 each year comprising a basic allowance of up to £1,490 and a non-medical personal help allowance of up to £11,280. A further payment of up to £4,460 for the purchase of major equipment allowance is available for the duration of the course.

  The Executive is keen to ensure that the current support arrangements are helping us achieve our goal of widening access. As part of the current funding of learners review in post-compulsory education, we will work with our stakeholders to re-examine the support available for students with disabilities.

  

  
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04*


 No of DSA applicants
 1,253
 1,646
 2,801
 1,996


 No receiving DSA
 1,253
 1.646
 2,798
 1,996


 Unsuccessful applicants
 0
 0
 3
 0


 No referred to access centres
 374
 641
 752
 380


 % referred
 29.84%
 38.94%
 26.84%
 19.03%


 Total awards
 £3,082,691
 £4,043,293
 £5,128,226
 £2,163,670



  *to date

  The number of students whose application for DSA is refused after being referred to an access centre is extremely small. If a student is referred he or she is already considered eligible to receive a DSA award. The purpose of referral to an access centre is to establish the students needs and the level of award required.

  As DSA is provided as an entitlement, future expenditure will be dependent on the number of students applying in future years and their assessed needs.

  The Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) continues to work with universities and colleges to widen access to higher education in Scotland. There are various widening access initiatives at both national and local level including the Wider Access Regional Forums established by SHEFC in 1999 as part of an initiative to encourage wider participation.

  SHEFC provides core teaching grants to higher education institutes on condition that they have policies and actions to help widen access. As well as this core grant it provides specific grants to cover provision for initiatives such as the Students with Disabilities Initiative, Disabled Students Premium and Equality Challenge Grant. Decisions on the allocation of funding to these initiatives are made by SHEFC on an annual basis. The following table gives the amount of grant specifically for widening access allocated in the last three academic years and the current year:

  

  
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04


 Expenditure
 £9,703,000
 £14,911,000
 £25,365,740*
 £16,540,000



  Note: *Figures for 2002-03 include an additional £10 million Teaching Infrastructure Grant to enable institutions to develop their infrastructure to meet the requirements of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001.

Teachers

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are plans to examine the method used to calculate teacher numbers to reflect the reduction in class sizes and, if so, when the results will be reported.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive carries out an annual teacher workforce planning exercise overseen by a group with representatives of education authorities, teacher unions, higher education institutes, the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council and the General Teaching Council. In the 2003 exercise the group has considered the methodology used and how known developments such as the Partnership for a Better Scotland commitments are to be taken into account. The results of the 2003 exercise will be published in February 2004.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Inquiry

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether there is any impediment to Lord Fraser of Carmyllie calling as witnesses to the Holyrood Inquiry the Auditor General for Scotland and employees of Audit Scotland who carried out work in relation to the report on the Holyrood building project in September 2000 and the investigation into the Flour City contract.

Mr George Reid: In his opening statement to the inquiry on 12 September 2003, Lord Fraser stated "I, and I alone, will decide which witnesses will be called. I will also decide to what matters their evidence will be directed." Accordingly, the witnesses and the subjects to be addressed are entirely matters for Lord Fraser to decide.

Holyrood Project

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether there was any audit exercise in relation to the Holyrood project after the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body took responsibility for it and prior to the establishment of Audit Scotland.

Mr George Reid: The Comptroller and Auditor General was responsible for the audit of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body for the relevant period. No formal examination of the Holyrood building project was carried out at that time.